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DxO has launched DxO PhotoLab 3, the latest version of the company’s photo editing software. The new version of PhotoLab brings new and improved tools, including an optimized Repair Tool and entirely new Local Adjustments Masks Manager, as well as support for keyword searches in PhotoLibrary and new camera support.
PhotoLab 3 introduces a new color adjustment mode as part of the software’s Hue, Saturation, and Luminance (HSL) Tool, one that is based on the DxO ColorWheel. With the tool, users are able to choose color ranges from eight separate channels, according to the company, as well as replacement colors and more.
Joining the ColorWheel is the new Local Adjustments Masks Manager, which enables users to manage an image’s layered local correction masks. This control includes individually adjusting opacity, reversing selected masks, and more.
Below is a brief rundown of the new features from photographer Robin Whalley:
Beyond that, PhotoLab’s Repair Tool, which allows users to scrub specific elements from an image, has also been ‘optimized’ to include a new Clone Mode and support for manually repositioning the tool’s source area. Both Repair Tool modes include support for opacity adjustment and feathering.
As mentioned, the software’s PhotoLibrary has also been updated to include keyword searches and management. The PhotoLibrary now shows image keywords in the interface, plus there’s the ability to add, rename, and delete keywords, including for multiple images at once. At this time, support for keywords in multi-criteria searches is only available on the macOS version of the software, but DxO says it will bring the same functionality to the Windows version soon.
DxO is offering PhotoLab 3 Essential and Elite Editions for Mac and PC at discounted prices until November 24:
- DxO PhotoLab 3 Essential Edition: €99.99 / £86.99 / $ 99.99
- DxO PhotoLab 3 Elite Edition: €149.99 / £129.99 / $ 149.99
DxO PhotoLab 3: The most colourful upgrade yet
DxO, one of the most innovative companies in the photography and image editing industry, is announcing its latest version of DxO PhotoLab, the most advanced photo editing software on the market in terms of image quality. With its completely redesigned HSL colour adjustment feature, optimized Repair Tool, and brand-new Local Adjustments Masks Manager, DxO PhotoLab 3 offers an exceptional level of colorimetry control, making the photographer’s job easier than ever before. Because the DxO PhotoLibrary now supports keyword searches, it offers an even more comprehensive workflow and improved compatibility with other photo editing software programs.
A new approach to adjusting colour
With its innovative and visual approach to colour management, DxO PhotoLab 3’s HSL (Hue, Saturation, and Luminance) Tool offers unparalleled control so you can produce even more natural- looking or creative images. It features a new colour adjustment mode based on a chromatic circle called the DxO ColorWheel. With this tool, you can select a colour range from eight different channels, fine-tune the value, select a replacement colour, and adjust your transitions to your heart’s desire. A new Uniformity setting also lets you adjust colour variations within a specific range. The Saturation and Luminance sliders now operate more independently, which offers more flexibility, especially when converting from colour to black and white and creating partially desaturated images.
“With the DxO ColorWheel, we were looking to create a new approach that could make colour management both flexible and fun. This tool is incredibly user friendly,” says Jean-Marc Alexia, VP Marketing & Product Strategy at DxO.
DxO PhotoLab 3 continues to improve its local adjustments options to offer users even more precision. One of these features, the Repair Tool, which acts as a brush that can erase unwanted elements from the image, has been updated. You can now manually reposition the area in the source image that you want to use to reconstruct an area in the image being edited. In addition to Repair Mode, DxO PhotoLab 3 also offers Clone Mode, which lets you directly replace the area you are editing. Feathering and opacity level can also be adjusted in both modes.
New Local Adjustments Masks Manager
DxO PhotoLab 3’s new Local Adjustments palette lets you manage local correction masks that have been layered within a single image. Make them visible, mask them, or adjust their opacity individually. The tool also lets you reverse the selected mask with a single click, adding additional flexibility and saving a significant amount of time.
A more complete workflow through keywords
In addition to the search criteria that are already available in the DxO PhotoLibrary (metadata, shooting parameters, folders, etc.), DxO PhotoLab 3 now offers keyword management and optimizes image organization all the way up to export. The keywords associated with an image can now be displayed in the interface, including when they are imported from other software programs. You can now add, delete, or rename keywords for one or multiple images simultaneously and include them in multi-criteria searches (macOS version only; this feature will be available in the Windows version in the near future). DxO PhotoLab 3 also offers more complete information and metadata display options as well as additional Projects management options.
New camera support
DxO PhotoLab 3 continues to add new cameras to the list of equipment it supports. It recently added the Canon G5 X Mark II and G7 X Mark III, the Nikon P1000, the Panasonic Lumix DC- G90/G95/G99/G91, the Lumix DC FZ1000 II and Lumix TZ95/ZS80, the Ricoh GR III, and the Sony A7R IV and RX100 VII. More than 3,000 optical modules have also been added to the database, which now includes over 50,000 different camera/lens combinations. The software’s de-noising capabilities for RAW photos taken with certain Canon and Olympus cameras has been improved as well.
Price & availability
The ESSENTIAL and ELITE editions of DxO PhotoLab 3 (PC and Mac) are now available for download on DxO’s website for the following launch prices until November 24, 2019:
DxO PhotoLab 3 ESSENTIAL Edition: DxO PhotoLab 3 ELITE Edition:
DxO PhotoLab 3 ESSENTIAL Edition: DxO PhotoLab 3 ELITE Edition:
DxO PhotoLab 3 ESSENTIAL Edition: DxO PhotoLab 3 ELITE Edition:
€99.99 instead of €129 €149.99 instead of €199
£86.99 instead of £112 £129.99 instead of £169
$ 99.99 instead of $ 129 $ 149.99 instead of $ 199
You do not need a subscription to use DxO PhotoLab 3. You can install the program on two computers with the DxO PhotoLab 3 ESSENTIAL Edition or on three computers with the DxO PhotoLab 3 ELITE Edition. Photographers with a license for DxO OpticsPro or DxO PhotoLab 2 can purchase an upgrade license for DxO PhotoLab 3 by signing into their customer account on www.dxo.com. A fully-functional, one-month trial version of DxO PhotoLab 3 is available on the DxO website.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)